Build a Reading Nook 🛠️

A tip for reading comfortably at home.

My reading nook (with the bookcase out of the frame).

Tale 🤩

A few years ago, I found myself standing in the middle of a completely empty living room, plotting. I had just moved from Seattle to New York City, and I had decluttered a lot of my inexpensive IKEA furniture before moving cities. I had also opted, somewhat extravagantly, to live in a one bedroom apartment for my first year in NYC. Without any roommates to pester me and presented with a blank slate of an apartment, my interior design fantasies were out of control.

While most of my outlandish interior design ideas never materialized—the building management squashed my plan of installing a motorized projector screen that would descend majestically from the ceiling—I did manage to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine: I built a reading nook.

I bought a sturdy-and-slim bookcase from IKEA, a couple of smart-bulb-equipped floor lamps, used & new copies of my favorite books, and, the pièce de résistance, a midcentury armchair and ottoman combo from West Elm. Finding the perfect armchair took hours of research, which mostly involved touring Manhattan’s cavernous furniture stores, sinking solemnly into upholstered chairs, and grimacing at the exorbitant price tags. But all the effort was worthwhile because I use my reading nook nightly. Reading a good book while ensconced in a comfy armchair is pure bliss.

Tip 🛋️

I highly recommend building a reading nook of your own—if you can spare the space, money, and time. Having a dedicated and ergonomic reading spot is a great way to upgrade your reading habit.

Building a reading nook doesn’t need to be a complicated or expensive project. It only requires:

• A comfortable chair

• A source of light

• A collection of books

If you’re short on space, you can substitute the physical stack of books with a virtual stack of e-books (or audiobooks)!

If you have additional space or a larger budget, you can also consider the following extras:

• A plush pillow

• A throw blanket

• A side table for drinks

• A couple of handy bookmarks

• An ottoman for propping up your feet

• A bookcase for storing your book collection

Finally, if your nook is somewhat secluded, it can also help you ignore the siren song of digital distractions. My reading nook is situated in a corner, next to a window, pointedly facing away from the rest of my apartment. (Of course, I also don’t have a TV, which makes this tactic even more effective.)

I’ve read countless books curled up in my reading nook, and I hope you get a chance to do the same in your own nook someday!